straw pole

[dustypuss]

origins of ( straw pole )

[heathfield]

Poll, not pole! A straw poll is an informal public opinion survey. Tossing a piece of straw into the air shows which way the wind is blowing. Following on from this, we have the expression 'finding out which way the wind blows' in terms of how people are thinking.

[dustypuss]

ta

very much

[Bert]

And the confusion between poll and pole is why we read about 'pole position' in motor races. It should be 'poll position', but nobody seems to bother about it in the newspapers.